Daily Life at Hogwarts - Chapter 11

“Sir?” Drummond took a deep breath, loudly saying, “You’re just going to leave like that?”

“Is there a problem?” Nottley looked puzzledly at Drummond.

“So, I’m in the clear?” Drummond was deeply dissatisfied with the Ministry’s handling.

“Yes, it was entirely an oversight,” Nottley replied formally.

Glancing at Albert beside him, Drummond coldly said, “I demand an apology, sir. Do you realize the mental turmoil that letter caused me? The sheer rage I felt learning that I was inexplicably under the threat of a hearing and expulsion? And now you say it’s all fine, dismissing me? Do you think a child is easy to push around?”

Drummond’s tone hardened even more. The Ministry of Magic was casually brushing off the incident and ready to leave, which truly angered him. Only moments ago, thanks to the groundwork laid by Albert, what began as a slightly tremulous voice had now become resolute. “I expect an apology from the Ministry of Magic. This entire affair is due to your negligence and has nothing to do with me. And… the Ministry must compensate me for emotional distress.” In reality, if the Ministry were to apologize, Durham wouldn’t ask for any compensation. However, their approach had infuriated him beyond measure.

“Excuse me? I didn’t quite catch that,” Nottley’s expression froze, and even Dumbledore’s face took on an intrigued look.

“An apology, plus compensation for emotional distress, sir,” Drummond clenched his fist, “100 Galleons.”

“I’m sorry, but compensation for emotional distress… there’s no precedent,” Nottley raised an eyebrow.

“I reject your insincere apology, sir,” Drummond retorted. “You believe because I’m a child, I can be bullied?”

Nottley and Dumbledore exchanged glances.

“In my opinion, gentlemen, his reaction is quite reasonable,” Albert calmly remarked, “I was there. After Drummond read the letter, I thought he had gone mad. It took a long while to calm him down, and I suggested he write a letter to Headmaster Dumbledore.” Honestly, he wasn’t a fan of the Ministry, even in novels. And their handling of this situation affirmed his feelings.

After such a colossal mistake, the least they could offer is a sincere apology! The nerve, just up and leaving as if it’s nothing!

Truth be told, they’re just a bunch of officials abusing their power. No wonder Voldemort got the better of them.

“And for the record, I also believe your apology lacks sincerity,” Albert said, narrowing his eyes. “I’ve come across adults like you before; one of my professors was just that sort.”

Nottley’s face darkened instantly.

“After all, you can just see us as children,” Albert said with a sudden laugh, patting Drummond’s shoulder. “Some people are just like that. Don’t take it too hard. Let’s head home. I’m a bit hungry. Maybe we can discuss our studies sometime.”

Nottley departed with a clouded expression, unsure of what awaited him.

“Goodbye, Headmaster,” Albert said with a nod to Dumbledore. “Thank you for helping Drummond. I would’ve felt guilty had he been expelled because of me.”

“Goodbye Mr. Anderson, and Mr. Drummond,” Dumbledore replied, departing.

“Those guys are so annoying,” Drummond clenched his fists, “I really want to give him a good punch.”

“How about it? Want to write to the Daily Prophet?” Albert said with a grin after Dumbledore had left.

Indeed, Albert had just activated a task named “Drummond’s Discontent,” one of the reasons he decided to help.

“Yes, we need to expose this.”

“Remember, half the compensation is mine,” Albert wasn’t afraid to stir things up. The reward for this task was quite generous, a whopping 3,000 experience points and an additional 25 Galleons.

“Alright, you draft it. By the way, is your family really full of lawyers?” Drummond asked.

“Absolutely. They’re all lawyers. So, I’m pretty good at handling such matters. Moreover, we did nothing wrong. Society sympathizes with the underdog. The public will love a scandal about the Ministry in the Prophet. We just need to ensure our names and photos don’t appear in the paper. Oh, and keep that letter from the Ministry safe.”

Albert knew just the right person for this job.

…

In London, at the headquarters of The Daily Prophet, Rita Skeeter is mulling over the headlines for the day. Lately, there hasn’t been any substantial news, which was a bit troubling for her.

Readers love sensational stories, real or exaggerated. As long as a story can grab their attention, in Rita’s eyes, that’s a successful piece.

As she consulted with her assistant for any juicy tidbits, several letters were placed on her desk. Some criticized her, others leaked small secrets, but one letter, accompanied by a photo, caught her attention. After reading it, she knew she had found her story.

Days later, the Misuse of Magic Office at the Ministry of Magic became infamous. Rita painted them as a department full of blunders and arrogant in its refusal to apologize for its mistakes.

Nottley was singled out and became the target of widespread criticism.

At the end of her article, Rita wrote, “The victim expressed doubts to The Daily Prophet about the credibility of the Ministry, and as compensation for the emotional distress the Ministry refused to pay, claimed 50 Galleons. This fee should have been borne by the Ministry, and they still owe the boy a sincere apology.”

When Nottley saw the paper, he immediately regretted his earlier decisions. He remembered the boy’s words: “Do you think a child is easy to push around, sir?”

The paper caused an uproar as soon as it was released.

Nottley was forced to take unpaid leave as the Misuse of Magic Office was inundated with letters.

Rita Skeeter, with her pen, showed everyone the power of the written word. Using the narratives from the two boys and the letter from the Ministry, she spun a tale that painted the Ministry in a bad light. She wasn’t concerned about the content being untrustworthy, as it was accompanied by the contents of the letter from the Ministry of Magic’s Misuse of Magic Office. There’s no escaping or denying it.

Drummond was elated. He received 25 Galleons in compensation, an amount he couldn’t even fathom before.

The journalist had also kept his and Albert’s names confidential. The Daily Prophet took the incident as its headline, severely criticizing the Ministry and causing a lot of trouble for the other party.

Albert was also in high spirits. His task was completed, and he gained Drummond’s friendship. They often communicated through owls during the holidays, sharing magical knowledge.

The Galleons he received from the compensation? Albert used them to subscribe to The Daily Prophet.